Harvesting Acai Berries- Their Amazing Journey From the Rain Forest to Your Local Market

The acai berry is one of nature’s most perfect foods. Though little-known to most people, this rain forest fruit packs more nutrition into its tiny purple skin than most man-made supplements. It is also a major part of the local diet of rain forest inhabitants, who use the acai for nutritional and medicinal purposes. Harvesting acai berries is a way of life for these people, who have learned how to utilize them for improved health and well-being.

Harvesting Acai Berries- How this Little Fruit Becomes Part of the Modern Diet

Most people who know about the acai may recognize it as an ingredient in juices and frozen bars. Some enjoy acai at organic juice bars or at the health food store. These products are the end result of an amazing journey which begins with harvesting acai berries in the rain forests of Brazil. The acai is the fruit of the acai palm, a towering tree that produces thousands of berries each season.
Natives climb these palms twice a year to harvest the berries by hand. Since the fruit totals only 10% of the berry, it must be separated from the skin and seeds and turned into a puree. The acai berry perishes within twenty-four hours of being harvested; therefore, the process needs to be completed quickly, and the berries delivered to market within that time. Increased demand for acai in recent years has led to the development of small, local farming coalitions that plant and harvest the fruit for mass production
Since it is so perishable, it is impossible to find fresh acai berries in your local supermarket. However, acai berries intended for overseas shipment are processed into pulp or dried for use in supplements and juices. This preserves their nutritional qualities for a longer period of time.

Harvesting Acai Berries Benefits Local Economies and the World

As the acai berry becomes more popular around the world, demand for the fruit has created strong motivation for rain forest inhabitants to protect the acai palms and plant more of them. Harvesting acai berries creates employment and helps to preserve local culture, which has included the acai harvest for thousands of years. Of course, the health benefits of the acai berry also help everyone who purchases products containing this nutritious fruit. Buying acai in its purest form ensures that you will get the most benefit from it while at the same time supporting native economies.
The story of how the acai berry makes its way to your store reveals the unique nature of this fruit. Few foods offer such complete nutrition while at the same time benefitting both those who produce and consume it. Harvesting acai berries preserves local culture, promotes health and delivers one of nature’s superfoods to the world.